Misconstruing Elaboration As Extension

Martin (1992: 315):

Similarly, whereas Classifiers elaborate the Thing, Epithets add qualities.  These may be of an experiential or attitudinal kind:

Table 5.12. Extension in the nominal group
NominalGroup
epithet	+	thing	epithet	+	thing
			(attitudinal)
red		car	ugly		car
big		lunch	chauvinist		pig
round		ball	pleasant		spot
speeding		bullet	beautiful		shot
hungry		puppy	greedy		kitten

 Blogger Comments:

[1] In every case, the expansion relation between the Epithet and Thing is elaboration, not extension.  This is demonstrated by the agnate relational clauses, all of which are intensive (elaborating), not possessive (extending): the car is red/ugly, the lunch is big, the ball is round etc.

[2] This is a Classifier, not an Epithet, as shown by the fact that, unlike Epithets, it can't be intensified as a very speeding bullet.